Side A
1. Morning Yearning
2. Waiting For You
3. Picture In A Frame
4. Never Leave Lonely Alone
5. Sweet Nothing Serenade
6. Reason To Mourn
7. More Than Sorry
8. Cryin’ Won’t Help You Now
9. Happy Everafter In Your Eyes
Total time: 30:51
Side B
1. Better Way
2. Both Sides Of The Gun
3. Engraved Invitation
4. Black Rain
5. Gather ’Round The Stone
6. Please Don't Talk About Murder While I’m Eating
7. Get It Like You Like It
8. The Way You Found Me
9. Serve Your Soul
Total time: 32:59
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Both Sides of the Gun
Ben Harper
Virgin
Harper’s albums, with the exception of his 1994 debut, “Welcome to the Cruel World,” have been all over the map musically. This one’s no different, but this time the singer/songwriter/slide guitarist takes a CD’s worth of songs and organizes them into two shorter discs: one that rocks and one that’s mellow.
He plays all the instruments on some cuts and is backed by members of his Innocent Criminals touring band for much of the rest. Many of the performances were recorded in one take, giving the album more spontaneity and less polish than his last release, 2003’s “Diamonds on the Inside.”
The rock disc kicks off with “Better Way,” an anthem-like George Harrison tribute rife with Indian percussion and featuring special guest David Lindley on tambura. Other highlights include the funky title cut; a Stones-ish “Engraved Invitation”; the string-driven, not-quite-disco-tinged soul of “Black Rain”; a slow-building blues march called “Gather ’Round the Stone” (with Charlie Musselwhite lending vocal help); the down-and-dirty “Get It Like You Like It” (with Marc Ford on guitar); and the Zeppelin-like “Serve Your Soul.”
The mellow “side” has the feel of “Tea for the Tillerman”-era Cat Stevens, featuring a string quartet on a few tracks. “Sweet Nothing Serenade” is an instrumental showcase for Harper’s incredible Weissenborn skills. Occasionally an electric guitar slips in, but overall this one’s an acoustic disc.
Harper has arrived at the point where his singing, musicianship and songwriting no longer simply are derivative, and finds himself instead possessing a maturity and depth that puts him in league with those he emulates.
external links
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